Oath

Invocation of a supernatural or holy being called to verify the veracity of a statement. Sometimes, oaths were given over a relic or a church altar. An oath was a special appeal, an expression of sincerity backed up by the threat of divine retribution should the uttering prove false--hence the term ‘oath-breaker’. An oathbreaker was assumed to have committed a crime against God or of some divine entity, which would lead to damnation or another form of severe penalty. Such oaths might take the form of ‘I swear upon the all that is Right and Holy that...’ Or, placing one’s hand upon a holy relic, ‘I, Reginald, do swear before these gathered witnesses that I did see...’